SEX100 - The Evolution Of Sex

Sex, sex, sex.
Hopefully by now we have your attention.
Sex, you may have noticed, is a pretty integral part of the whole human experience.
For one, none of us would be here without sex; for two, what would be the point of life without it?
But ever since humans started making erotic cave paintings, sex has been changing.
New knowledge, new attitudes, new technologies.
So where is sex at today? And where is it going? We decided to answer that for you.
The AskMen SEX100 is a look at how sex is evolving: 100 things changing our collective sex lives.
In it you'll find porn stars & activists, sex toys & hookup apps, podcasts & dating trends.
Without further ado... please be our guests.Come on in.

Porn For The Visually Impaired

Invention

In “how the heck did they do that!?” news, PornHub recently created porn for visually impaired people. Well, it’s simpler than it sounds: PornHub, which is the internet’s most popular peddler of all things porn, has announced a new category of content called “Described Video,” which is geared toward helping people who are visually impaired enjoy porn. Videos come complete with “special narrations” that are tailored to help visually impaired users enjoy the scenes. It’s a great sign that PornHub is thinking outside the box and catering for a smaller subset of its users, and it opens the door for porn providers to consider all sorts of viewers who aren’t currently being catered to.

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Pregnancy Is Sexy

Trend

OK, so maybe it was always sexy for you to see the love of your life carrying your child, but thanks to new celebrity mamas like Chrissy Teigen, Blake Lively, Candace Swanepoel and Coco Austin, showing off the curves of pregnancy is a power move. Not to mention trending hashtags on Instagram like #FitPregnancy, showing women who continue to exercise and work out while carrying a child. Just don’t think of your mom in this light — ew — but your future wife, who will be just as hot eight months pregnant as she was the night you made the baby in question.

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Bluetooth Sex Toys

Invention

Sex toys are getting smarter and smarter, literally. A new wave of Bluetooth-enabled sex toys (complete with apps!) means that your sex life is about to get a whole lot more connected. Whether it’s a kegel exerciser that reports feedback to your phone or a wearable toy that allows for long distance loving (it can be controlled from anywhere in the world with the right app), the options just keep growing.

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Iceland Phallological Museum

Location

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is exactly what it sounds like — a museum full of penises. It's a tribute to the man-members that used to be attached to the many land and sea mammals of Iceland which, you can imagine, is also very educational — although you might want to leave the kids at home for this one. The museum currently boasts a collection of over 200 penises, but it all started with one bull penis, a man and a dream. While most kids were out collecting baseball cards, founder Sigurður Hjartarson, then a headmaster at a Reykjavík school, was working away at a collection of penises. "Some of my teachers used to work in summer in a nearby whaling station and after the first specimen they started bringing me whale penises, supposedly to tease me," Hjartarson explains on the museum's website. Joke's on them, because today this guy owns the world's only phallic museum. And that takes balls.

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Lisa Ann

Influencer

Most porn stars don't make the leap from starring in XXX films to hosting a radio show and being a passionate activist after an award- and headline-filled career, but most porn stars aren't Lisa Ann. Rocketing to fame in 2008 thanks to her role as Sarah Palin in several political porn parodies, Ann enjoyed a lengthy career in the adult industry, as she embodied the very essence of the mythical MILF everyone was talking about at the time. Now that she's retired, she's got a fantasy football-themed radio show called Lisa Ann Does Fantasy on SiriusXM and she also repeatedly speaks out about racism in the porn industry, shining a spotlight on the privileges white performers have over performers of color.

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Dildo Drone

Invention

This is crazy, right? This is definitely crazy. It sounds like something a random phrase generator would spit out if you entered in all the things people were talking about in 2016. Unfortunately (or fortunately), the drone dildo doesn’t actually appear to be real. Rather, it’s a fun fake ad for a product that you can’t actually buy. That being said, the fact that the drone dildo exists, even as a joke, suggests it’s probably a good sign of what the future of sex is going to look like: increasingly technological, verging on the robotic, absurd, unrecognizable to our ancestors — and still, hopefully, able to get you off.

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Orange Is The New Black

Creation

Want to know the truth about most lesbian porn? It’s not really lesbian porn — it’s just two women kissing to please straight men. In fact, honest-to-goodness lesbians, who only have sex with women, couldn’t care less if seeing them kiss ruffles your feathers. That’s why you have to hand it to Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black for giving a candid, raw portrait of lesbians’ sex lives (even if it’s all in prison). The moments are provocative, but that’s part of the point: The show doesn’t shy away from the uncomfortable, and that’s a conversation we need to have in order to get more equality.

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Anilingus

Trend

A few years ago it would have been near impossible to predict the astronomical rise of pop culture references to eating ass, especially in rap music. Anilingus, or rimming, now known more colloquially as “eating ass,” is an X-rated trend that exploded somewhat unexpectedly, and now even casual listeners cannot escape the direct or indirect references, sometimes euphemized as “eating cake” (another word for ass.) Hip-hop obviously needed a new frontier once eating pussy became mainstream and it looks like ass is it. Who knows which illicit crevices and orifices rappers will tackle next?

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Sex With Emily Podcast

Creation

By the time most people in America reach sexual maturity, they’re having sex with zero idea about what they’re actually doing. Yup, the country’s approach to sexual education is in a seriously woeful state. Enter Dr. Emily Morse. Thanks to her super popular podcast, Sex With Emily, Dr. Morse has sort of become the nation’s sex ed teacher. With hour-long episodes tackling all kinds of subjects, from asking out a coworker for coffee to tying up your partner during sex, Morse doesn’t shy away from anything in her quest to educate. Best of all, if you listen to an episode or two, you’ll likely find yourself with answers to questions you didn’t even know you had.

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Tag Teaming

Trend

For most guys, tag teaming is far from commonplace, more a porn scene fantasy than something you might get up to this weekend. But with the ubiquity of internet porn and a shift away from a religious, sex-negative morality for many teens, it seems to be something that's becoming normalized for younger millennials. As with most things related to sex, there are upsides and downsides. It's great that young people can explore new sexual experiences in a guilt-free way and not simply have to stick to the same things their monogamous parents did a generation earlier. But tag teaming also brings up issues of consent that the youth of today might not have been prepared for by abstinence-only sex ed.

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Mia Khalifa

Influencer

Mia Khalifa is way more than a (really) pretty face. A dark horse in the world of porn, Khalifa seemingly came out of nowhere and went on to become the number one performer on PornHub. Hailing from Beirut, she was faced with major backlash when she donned a hijab during a porn scene and even received death threats from ISIS. Still, she managed to take it all in stride by adding humor and levity to the situation. Since that controversial moment, she has quit porn, taken on a “normal” job and devoted her time to speaking out for women’s rights in Lebanon, as well as in the rest of the Middle East. When she’s not doing that, she’s busy outing dudes on Twitter who repeatedly try to hook up with her via direct message. Guys, it’s really not that easy.

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The League Dating App

Invention

The worst part about dating apps? Rifling through all the riff raff, trying to find the cream of the crop candidates that are worth spitting your best online dating message game at. The founders of the dating app The League feel that struggle, so they did daters everywhere a solid and created an app that does the work for you. The app asks for your preferences in terms of what you're looking for in a partner (location, age, level of attractiveness, you name it), then its super smart, super shallow algorithm vets your matches according to your tastes, meaning you can be as picky as you want to be.

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New Lovers Series From Badlands Unlimited

Creation

Badlands Unlimited’s founder, Paul Chan, has said that he first started publishing erotica because “sex sells,” but to be fair, what’s selling isn’t just the sex — it’s the carefully curated aesthetic and thoughtful packaging of Badlands Unlimited’s New Lovers series. Featuring a fresh, often startlingly artistic approach to erotica, the series runs the gamut of what’s possible in sex writing and is just the thing to share with your partner. With authors as diverse as Tamara Faith Berger and Al Bedell contributing books, New Lovers is quietly reshaping how young people think about sex.

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Tenga Egg

Invention

​If Fleshlights aren’t for you, but your hand still isn’t cutting it, the Tenga Egg might be worth looking into. It comes in an adorably packaged carton and offers its users a “use and toss” option for those who want to feel a ribbed, vagina-like material glide over their genitals but don’t want to have to maintain and deal with hiding a larger, bulkier sex toy. For people who have been getting tired of using their hands to get off when they’re alone, the Tenga Egg will ignite your passion while simultaneously make you crave an omelette. Think of it as an evolution in male sex toys.

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Soho, London

Location

Longtime frequenters of Soho will often bemoan how gentrified the area has become, and it’s true that it’s a far cry from the seedy, illicit quarters that it used to be — right in the middle of London’s center, where the value of the real estate is eye-watering. However, it’s still a prime partying location for people who want to cut loose and get a little bit frisky on their nights out, and if you’re gay, bi or otherwise included in the LGBT scene, it’s one of the best places to explore in London. There are all-purpose gay clubs like Shadow Lounge and Freedom Bar that welcome men and women, but there are also bars that cater to lesbian and bi women specifically, such as She on Lisle Street: a refreshing development, as many gay bars become bars for gay men by default.

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JimmyJane FORM2

Invention

Part of sex toy manufacturer JimmyJane’s elite “Form” lineup, the FORM2 is a bite-sized vibrator that packs some serious punch. It focuses exclusively on clitoral stimulation thanks to its two vibrating ears, which women can use to stimulate the clitoris by squeezing them around it. If you’re one of those guys whose mental image of a sex toy is just a giant, floppy dildo, it’s time to stop living in the past. The FORM2 is as powerful as it is portable, and it represents a paradigm shift from vaginal to clitoral pleasure. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

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Say It With A Condom

Invention

Benjamin Sherman launched Say It With A Condom because he believes condoms are a powerful tool to start a conversation about your brand, product, service or event. The brand works with tens of thousands of clients in over 60 countries to give their message the attention it deserves. Say It With A Condom also has two sister brands: Funny Condoms and Consent Condoms. At Consent Condoms, the mission is to reduce sexual assault by providing the tools for any person or organization to take positive action in their community; while the goal of Funny Condoms is to marry pop culture and sex by designing condoms that poke fun at today’s trends and other topical issues.

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Athleisure Is Sexy

Trend

Seeing more and more woman wearing yoga pants these days? Probably so, because athleisure is having such a moment. And the clothes women work out in are becoming more and more sexy: mesh panels, peek-a-boo tops, cut-outs and yes, even leather. Being fit and prioritizing your health has never been more important or popular, and the clothes are showing that. So the next time your girlfriend suggests you go for a run or hit up a boxing class before brunch, say yes — not only for your own fitness, but for how she’ll look while working out next to you.

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Broad City

Creation

Broad City is one of the most progressive TV shows to come out in the past decade. Set in NYC and based around the lives of two 20-something friends, Ilana and Abbi, the show explores their friendship, careers and personal lives. It’s hilarious in its treatment of weed, money, technology, and relationships, but some of the funniest moments are its female-friendly sex scenes. In one memorable scene, IIana meets a gorgeous young improv actor who likes to perform cunnilingus for hours, and she grips his head and tells him with earnest vigor to “never change.” See also: Abbi pegging her neighbor, Ilana making out with all the men (and women) she hires during her stint as a manager, and a ridiculously funny Skype threesome.

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New York Toy Collective

Influencers

The New York Toy Collective is a queer collective based in Brooklyn that makes wildly cool 3D-printed sex toys. Their approach to the industry is a seriously fresh one, as they shun the heteronormative packaging and marketing that most sex toy companies opt for, despite the fact that LGBTQ folks are a huge (and ever-growing) consumer base. The New York Toy Collective’s designs are colorful and practical, plus they embrace gender presentation and accessibility while avoiding the gender binary itself. Not to mention their 3D-printed dildos may just be what the future of sex toys looks like.

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The C.A.T. Position

Trend

The C.A.T. position, or Coital Alignment Technique, isn't much of a position, to be honest. At a glance, you might mistake it for plain old missionary, perhaps the least compelling sex position there is. What distinguishes the C.A.T., also known as the perfect position, is that it focuses on the woman's pleasure, not the man's. Rather than thrusting wantonly in and out, C.A.T. has the male partner focusing on keeping his pubic mound aligned with hers so she gets to feel friction on her clitoris as well as penetration. Give it a shot — done right, it's a thrill for both of you.

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jessica drake

Influencer

As the creator, director and producer of today’s leading sex education series, Guide to Wicked Sex, jessica drake is at the forefront of modern sex education. An exclusive contract star to adult powerhouse, Wicked Pictures, drake has witnessed a huge demand for pleasure-based sex education and she recognized early on there were limited resources available to people seeking greater pleasure and intimacy. She began channeling her experience to create platforms to help people experience sexual pleasure. In addition to her series and seminar initiatives, drake works tirelessly to shape the public's evolving perception of consent, reproductive health, emotional responsibility, LGBT empowerment and sex worker rights.

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Tinyletter

Invention

If you're not currently receiving at least one e-mail newsletter featuring erotic writers you admire in your inbox, you’re seriously missing out. If so, Tinyletter should pique your interest. The platform has become an incredible space for writing to flourish in semi-private quarters because the essays (or updates) sent through the newsletter aren’t published on the spot. Instead, they’ll linger in your inbox, waiting to be read at your leisure, giving them an undiscovered, raw aesthetic. Writers like Charlotte Shane and Chelsea G. Summers have obviously taken advantage of the love letter-like nature of Tinyletter, penning erotic, meandering missives that are fired straight to inboxes around the world.

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Gaycation

Creation

Not long after she bravely came out as a lesbian, flouting Hollywood conventions that suggest it's safer to keep your sexuality under wraps, Canadian actor Ellen Page lined up a gig hosting a VICELAND show called Gaycation, which explores queer culture around the world. While many in America have set ideas about what gay communities and celebrations look like, the rest of the world has different ideas. Exposing the depth and breadth of queer love and life worldwide is an incredibly cool and revolutionary idea, especially since popular culture isn’t quite there yet when it comes to LGBTQ representation.

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Berlin

Location

Berlin — which recently banned AirBnB — is a gritty, rough-around-the-edges city where alternative-minded people the world over come to play. Famed for its techno clubs and creative scenes, Berlin is a place where you can let your most hedonistic instincts run wild. Clubs like Berghain and KitKat are anything-goes zones, and twosomes, threesomes and moresomes of all genders will often be seen getting it on right there on the dance floor. This is definitely a city to leave your inhibitions and puritanism at the door, but everyone is welcome: straight, queer or even just curious; Berlin’s X-rated scene is endlessly entertaining.

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Handjobs

Trend

Ahhh, handjobs. Humanity’s least exciting sex move. Basically the equivalent of masturbating using someone else’s fingers. Something you only get excited about when you’re a pimply teen. Borringgg. Right? Actually, wrong, according to New York magazine, who declared handjobs to be “back” and “hip” and “It” earlier this year after they popped up in The Good Wife and Silicon Valley. Praising the age-old handjob’s back-to-basics simplicity and portability (i.e., you can give or receive them just about anywhere), the piece, penned by Mandy Stadtmiller, might just make you nostalgic enough to head to HJ town next time you’re getting intimate.

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Girlfriends Films

Influencers

Being a porn performer is a tricky gig. On the surface, it might seem fun — get paid to have sex — but not everyone is cut out for the reality of having their sex lives publicized and stored forever online. Many young porn stars end up turning to drugs or are taken advantage of by industry insiders. The lesbian porn producers Girlfriends Films from Valencia, Calif. are paving the way for adult film businesses that want to empower their performers, however. GF is dedicated to building a community of performers who support and care about each other, offering up a brave and exciting new voice in pornography.

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IJustCame.org

Invention

Masturbation is usually considered to be a pretty selfish activity. It’s almost always done alone, and it’s very, uh, self-focused. But what if you could be making the world a better place while you masturbated? Well, it’s not just an outlandish idea anymore. IJustCame.org is an upstart porn site that is donating a penny to charity every time someone watches a video on their site. And while a penny isn’t much, you might argue, over the course of a year, they add up. Plus, it’s more than you’re currently donating by masturbating to anything else, so what’s the harm?

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Emily Ratajkowski

Influencer

While you might have originally noticed Emily Ratajkowski in the “Blurred Lines” video (yep, the brunette), you might be surprised to know the depths of this stunning model, actress and activist. Not only has she appeared in blockbusters like Gone Girl, but she’s speaking up for women who want to own their sexuality. From a well-written essay in Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter to defending a woman’s right to dress and be however she would like, she’s not only a pretty face, but a force that’s making important strides in equality for women in the bedroom.

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Circuit Parties

Trend

Essentially sex parties masked as dance parties, circuit parties are typically organized in secret, for a select crowd, and are fun as hell. Circuit parties are ideal for getting it on because everyone is usually sweaty, dancing, and pressed up against each other for hours on end — a recipe for love. If you’re lucky, you’ll stumble into the backroom at a circuit party where the real fun happens, but they’re often extremely relaxed; allowing people to roam and explore their sexuality if they wish while also offering people an environment to have one hell of a dance-off.

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Sex Lives Podcast

Creation

Hosted by Maureen O’Connor — sex columnist for New York magazine’s The Cut offshoot — and David Wallace-Wells, Sex Lives is a weekly podcast about “sex, lust, dating, technology, coupling, porn, fetish, and freakiness.” Bringing a cerebral quality to content that could otherwise be smutty, the show takes an intelligent look at all things sex-related, with topics ranging from dick pics to period sex to orgasmic childbirth. The presenters are warm and witty, and they leave no stone unturned in their quest to dissect and discuss every possible sex-related trend known to man. It’s a perfect way to while away some idle hours at home or at work, but make sure your boss isn’t hovering.

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69ing

Trend

OK, cards on the table — 69ing has been a popular sex act for years. Possibly since the supposed date of its invention, the year 1969. Hell, even Bryan Adams has admitted his song "Summer of 69" is about the infamous reciprocal oral two-way street. But in 2016, the concept of 69 seems to have been divorced from the actual sweaty mess it represents and simply become a symbol for ironic teenage lust — as when Twitter collectively responds with a "Nice" whenever the infamous number comes up. Looks like we'll all be joking about sex online for the foreseeable future.

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Masters Of Sex

Creation

At a time when nothing on TV is shocking anymore, Masters of Sex has somehow managed to raise the bar. Telling the story of Dr. William Masters (Michael Sheen) and Virginia Johnson (Lizzy Caplan), the series explores the sexual pioneers at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri during the ‘50s and ‘60s. The focus on previously taboo topics paired with some really killer sex scenes has set the series apart from others. Plus, the mostly female writing staff is nothing to scoff at. The first season received major critical acclaim and the ensuing three have been just as loved by critics and fans. This is a show that talks about sex during a time when it just wasn’t appropriate to do so and for that it deserves your attention. Bravo!

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The Weeknd

Influencer

The Weeknd is a bit of a paradox. For someone whose brand of R&B is unrelentingly sexually aggressive, the man (whose real name is Abel Tesfaye) has a surprising amount of devoted female fans. Though his most recent releases (2013's Kiss Land and 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness) are ever so slightly less intense on that front than the dark and debaucherous trio of mixtapes he released in 2011, The Weeknd’s vibe as a demanding, lascivious lover has never wavered. The fact that the Internet completely freaked out over his recent haircut shows how truly popular he is. Which, in turn, tells us something about our society. PS: If you're ever looking for a wild ride, consider spinning his music during a lovemaking session — it's bound to amp things up.

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The Museum Of Sex

Location

The Museum of Sex (aka MoSEX) presents a hot take on the topic by portraying it as something that can always be explored and dissected without embarrassment. Its ever-changing exhibitions often feature a look back at the history of pornography and include information about everything from the sex lives of animals to how sex is used in design. There’s also a room filled with giant boobies you can bounce on — of course. Thanks to a board of advisors that’s comprised of leading scholars and historians, MoSEX makes learning extremely sexy and forcefully removes the stigma behind erotica by delivering a heaping dose of education. Since the museum’s opening in 2002, it's orchestrated over 25 exhibitions and six virtual installations for lust-hungry New Yorkers to explore.

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Transformer

Invention

Recently, there's been a lot of spotlight cast on transgender issues. So it's about time that a sex toy was created that wasn't explicitly made for the male or female body. Meet The Transformer: The world's first gender-neutral sex toy. In essence, The Transformer is a double-ended dildo. But where the magic really happens is in the connecting body of the toy, which is made out of a flexible skeleton you can bend into any shape that's most pleasing to you — the options for how you pleasure yourself are only as limited as your imagination. Use it to stimulate your prostate, bend it into a vibrating cock ring, or even use it as a butt plug. Kind of like Legos, but for the bedroom.

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The Death Of Dating Apps

Trend

If you’ve had a slow summer, you’re not the only one. Apps that you likely use often — like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and many more — see less activity in swiping and dating when folks are out-and-about and, well, living their lives offline. It’s not that dating apps don’t have a place — 1 in 6 Americans meet their spouses online, after all — it’s that how we’re using them is getting exhausting. With Bustle’s recent campaign to ditch the app and get back to meeting people the old fashioned way, we’re all aching for less toxic online dating and more of a way to meet quality people (that we ultimately want to have great sex with).

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Half-Night Stands

Trend

Picture the scene: You meet your date at the bar, down a couple drinks together, and then head back to your place. You both know where things are headed: to the bedroom. An hour afterwards, you’re both lying in bed when your date says, “Actually, I should get going,” calls an Uber and is gone into the night. Did things go terribly? Or are half-night stands just the new normal? In a dating culture where intimacy is frowned upon and being “chill” is prized above all, the traditional “skipping out quietly in the morning” movie is no longer the de facto end to a hookup.

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Ela Darling

Influencer

Most often when someone tells you about a “porn star to watch out for” they’re describing a person whose looks or acting style set them out from the crowd. But Ela Darling is a bit of a different case. She’s a Los Angeles-based librarian turned porn performer who is a pioneer in the emerging world of VR porn. She’s been obsessed with VR technology since childhood, and her site, CAM4VR, is at the cutting edge of this new technology. She’s a sharp, fresh mind to have in the industry, especially as she’s spoken openly about her commitment to increasing diversity in the sometimes limited, cookie-cutter world of porn.

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Male Birth Control

Invention

Different options for male birth control have been stalled at various stages of development for years — no, decades — now. It’s incredibly frustrating and unfair that women still have to bear the birth control burden completely, despite all the technology and funding that is available. The actual development and sale of a male birth control pill in the near future would seriously level the playing field and be a step in the right direction — although a recent male birth control injection trial was halted due to the adverse effects the participants were experiencing. Looks like we’re still a ways off, unfortunately.

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Studs Theater

Location

The porn theater that lives in the heart of West Hollywood is easy to miss if you’re unable to see large purple movie theaters strategically placed between candle emporiums and locally owned grocery shops. It also is a reminder of the queer community before Grindr and Craigslist, when you had to cruise for sex in person by blowing someone in one of the three porn theaters that are currently open to the public. Open until 2 A.M. on the weekends, Studs Theater is a place where inhibitions get lost in the dark as they mingle with the smell of freshly popped corn. It was, and still is, one of the best places to arrange a casual encounter.

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Edging

Trend

Anyone who’s had an orgasm knows that some are stronger than others. Some are mildly pleasant little moments and some are mountain-moving, earth-shaking explosions of bliss. And it’s not random: Different things affect the intensity, like how long it’s been since your last climax, how long you were aroused for prior to orgasm, and so on. Edging is a sex technique that you can and should start using in bed, predicated on building your partner up toward orgasm and then stopping right before the moment of climax, then restarting. By cycling between buildup and relaxation, the final orgasm will feel like a sex Godzilla just stomped through your partner’s brain. (In a good way.)

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Game Of Thrones

Creation

If you’re like a big percentage of couples, you have a few shows that you save to watch for each other (and get angry if your partner binge watches ahead of you!). While people love Game of Thrones for its addicting storylines and super-hot characters (try the Game of Boobs quiz), it might also produce a baby boom. Because GoT is a rare example of a show that widely appeals to both sexes while mixing in plenty of sex, more and more twosomes are taking the time on Sundays to tune in together, get riled up from watching the show, spark conversation about what happened, and ultimately, let out some of that dragon breath in the bedroom.

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Killing Kittens

Location

Once an underground phenomenon (oftentimes literally), sex parties have now reemerged into the mainstream to slight fanfare and a bit of puzzlement. Whether it’s your scene or not, there’s simply no denying the fact that sex parties are far more accessible — and acceptable — than they ever have been. You can now easily find almost any flavor of experience you desire — from BDSM-inflected to Killing Kittens, an elite house party in the Hamptons — but although sex parties have long been a widely accepted part of LGBT culture, public (or semi-public) sex has been met with mixed reactions from straight couples. Maybe it's time for things to finally change on that front.

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The Girlfriend Experience

Creation

In our economy, if there’s a demand for something, it can indeed be bought. Cars, clothes, hoverboards — you name it. And now, relationships are on that list, too. STARZ’s new show, The Girlfriend Experience, stars Riley Keough and is based on the 2009 Steven Soderbergh film of the same name, which saw ex-adult actor Sasha Grey in the lead role. The Girlfriend Experience explores the lives of rich men who want extremely subservient girlfriends without having to go through the trouble of finding someone they’re actually compatible with. The first season was a success and shone a spotlight on the often under-discussed emotional labor of sex work. It also seriously pushed boundaries about the types of sex scenes seen on TV.

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Cindy Gallop

Influencer

How many women can say they've made a business out of sleeping with younger men? Wait, don't answer that. But really, this premise is exactly what prompted Cindy Gallop to create her platform, MakeLoveNotPorn.com. Gallop's habit of sleeping with younger men led her to notice a trend: Her younger partners all tried to have sex with her like they were in some porn video. And Cindy, like most women, wasn't into it. So she decided to create a crowdsourced space to showcase some "real world" sex of her own, in hopes of counteracting the effects that the easy access to exaggerated mainstream porn has had on educating young men about sex — much to the relief of women everywhere who don't like to treated as a pornstar.

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Couture Condoms

Invention

For many years, condoms weren’t much to look at. They were function first; and not much attention ever seemed to get paid to the visual. But in 2016, it seems like it isn’t enough just to wear protection — that protection also needs to make a statement! With everyone from Chanel to Lady Gaga rolling out their own lines of designer condoms, the message seems very clear: Big Condom is now interested in the concept of the condom-as-billboard. Because yes, when that’s all you’re wearing, all eyes are going to be on that rubber sheath. Choosing the right condom has never been easier (or harder).

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Recharge Hotel Room App

Invention

Ahhh, hotel sex. Truly, there’s nothing like it. An opportunity to get freaky in another city, without worrying about the sheets or the neighbors hearing. It’s sort of seen as a bit of a go-to for couples looking to spice up their relationships — so let’s rejoice now that booking a hotel room is easier than ever. Yep, the One Night Standard app lets you book rooms minutes before your stay, and Recharge lets you book hotels by the minute or hour. They market it as “to nap” or “shower,” but everyone knows that’s not what it’s going to be used it for.

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Fiera

Invention

If you ever struggle with maintaining an erection or getting into the mood, there are a number of tools and medicines available to you. Unfortunately for women, there hasn’t been as many options for them to take control of their sex lives, especially if they have a difficult time getting wet. Products like Fiera — a personal arousal device that gets a woman warmed up for intercourse by using suction and vibration to stimulate her clitoris — are breaking down boundaries. This will make it easier for women to not only talk about their issues but solve them, both with masturbation and with you. That’s a win-win for her, and for you!

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GuyFi

Location

A public masturbation booth where guys can pop in to de-stress by enjoying a little solo time? In the heart of downtown NYC? OK, moment of truth. Like the drone dildo, GuyFi wasn’t technically real. Rather, it was a (brilliant) marketing stunt cooked up by Hot Octopuss, a sex toy manufacturer. Although just thinking about how messy such a thing would be in practice is kind of unsettling, there’s no denying that GuyFi represents a very 2016 understanding of human sexuality. An understanding that desire is something everybody experiences and that, in and of itself, desire is healthy and not bad or sinful. Will future cities work concepts like this into their architecture for real? There’s only one way to find out...

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Looking

Creation

Looking, a show centered around four gay men living in San Francisco, wasn’t exactly the smash hit HBO was hoping for, but it’s noteworthy television because it centered LGBTQ people instead of relegating them to supporting roles. Finally, gay men were portrayed living their lives just like straight television characters always have, and even though it may have felt trite, that kind of familiarity is important when it comes to normalizing gay couples (and things like, say, cruising for sex in public parks). Plus, you know, straight guys could really stand to learn a thing or two from gay men.

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Fellatio Café

Location

You’ve probably heard of massage parlors that offer customers so-called “happy endings,” but what about a blowjob with your latte? A café in Geneva called Fellatio Café is shooting to offer patrons just that later this year — order your café selection and then take a moment to select your blowjob ‘partner’ from an iPad menu. If it’s successful, one could be coming to London in the not-too-distant future. It’s a novel concept that reframes sexual pleasure as a necessity for working men to start the day off right, rather than a special occasion to be shared between two loving partners. Just one question: What about a Cunnilingus Café?

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BDSM Fashion

Trend

Have you been wondering why every other college freshman is suddenly sporting a ring gag collar? As BDSM continues to become more mainstream, its gear has morphed into a fashion aesthetic that’s trickled down from high fashion to the street, picking up goth, kawaii and other inflections along the way. One of the keys to BDSM has always been the accessories and purists might sniff at otherwise vanilla folks embracing things like ball gags and collars, but why not see it as an embracing of kink by a historically chilly public? It may be harder now to tell who’s going to what parties, but BDSM’s aesthetic has entered the realm of daywear and from the looks of the last New York Art Book Fair attendees, it’s here to stay.

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Charlotte Shane

Influencer

Charlotte Shane is an author and essayist who writes most convincingly on the topic of sex. She largely writes about sex from a woman’s perspective, debunking widespread myths like the idea that women hate giving blowjobs or that penetrative sex is a reliable route to orgasm for most women, or discussing the ethics of sex work. Her witty, pulls-no-punches approach is second to none, and she produces well-researched pieces with input from other women as interesting as she is. If you want to get a real look at what sex is like from a woman’s perspective, skip 50 Shades of Grey and get one of her books instead.

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Babeland Sex Classes

Creation

A visit to the sex shop is always a good time. But with so many toys on the market (and new ones popping up all the time) it can be tough to keep up with the trends, or know which new toy is going to be the best addition to your sex life based on your particular needs. Babeland's sex classes aim to solve that problem, educating shoppers on the vast world of sex toys through a series workshops tailored to different sex toy genres and their particular use cases. Classes are held intermittently at each of Babeland's store locations. To stay up to date on upcoming class offerings, sign up for their newsletter.

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Project Consent

Creation

Sexual consent can be a tricky concept in a world where men are encouraged to “take charge” and “get theirs” over and over by pop culture that “blurs the lines” on the issue. International non-profit campaign Project Consent is trying to re-start the conversation about it, especially on college campuses, via cartoons. Their reasoning? Maybe if it’s simple enough for a child to understand, everyone will get it. They do so via short, personality-filled YouTube videos of dancing body parts that hope to offer the important lessons that all too many messaging campaigns in the past have failed to deliver when it comes to sex and touching.

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Axel Braun

Influencer

No disrespect, but it's not very often that you can point to a porn director and say, "Wow, that's a visionary." Unless you’re pointing at Axel Braun. The veteran XXX director has been turning the adult industry completely on its head as of late with home run after home run. What’s he been doing that’s so special? Parodies. Braun is the King of Porn Parodies. By tapping into a truth that sleazy, low-budget producers have known for years (i.e. the fact that people really, really want to masturbate to their favorite fictional characters), Braun has brought us delights like Star Wars XXX and Batman v. Superman XXX.

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Autoblow 2

Invention

Brian Sloan should be considered 2016’s Dr. Frankenstein thanks to the way his mind works. With the creation of the Autoblow 2 (wait — what happened to the Autoblow 1?) Sloan has essentially invented a blowjob machine. Ask anyone who has tested this thing out and they’ll likely be quick to tell you that Sloan is the Steve Jobs of sex. Aside from hawking love robots, he also launched a contest to find the most beautiful vagina on the planet (in case you’re wondering, that honor went to a nice Scottish woman), and is now searching for the world’s most beautiful anus. A contest that should be, erm, really fun to judge.

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Unbound

Invention

Explore the latest sex products on the market without having to step foot inside a store or comb through online inventory. Thanks to Polly Rodriguez, founder of Unbound, you can have a curated box of the latest and greatest in sex toys delivered to your door in a discreet little box. Unbound started as a part-time hobby between friends, who wanted to deliver the goods to shoppers who were too shy to go into the store and make the purchase themselves. Polly saw an opportunity to blow the idea out, and built Unbound into the subscription-based model and online store it is today. From vajazzling crystals to new lube creations and beyond, signing up for Unbound means there's always something new for you and your lady to try in the bedroom.

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Dan Savage

Influencer

Dan Savage has made a real name for himself over the years with his sex advice column, Savage Love, which has been running in Seattle’s weekly The Stranger newspaper since 1991 and is now syndicated by dozens of publications worldwide. He was the mastermind behind the It Gets Better movement in 2010, which set out to help prevent suicide among LGBTQ youth, and he regularly confronts sex-negative and homophobic politicians and policies, encouraging citizens to stand up for their rights and not let the government dictate what they can do with their bodies. As the Beastie Boys famously said, you gotta fight for your right to party (and have one-night stands) and Dan Savage has certainly taken that to heart.

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Eva Couples Vibrator

Invention

Using a sex toy during intercourse is kind of like having shower sex: One of you is left out in the cold while the other one hogs all the hot water or reaps all the benefits of those good vibrations. The Eva Couples vibrator solves that conundrum by providing pleasure to both parties. It slips right under your lady's labia, and features a U shape that hugs your penis while it vibrates. This means you both get to feel the benefits. And for bonus points: It even stays in place when you switch positions, making it easy to wear from start to finish.

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Foria Weed Lube

Invention

Like chocolate and strawberries, weed and sex are two great things that go really, really well together. With the increasing legality and accessibility of marijuana, folks who wouldn’t describe themselves as stoners have been turning to weed for recreational uses and this includes in the bedroom. What’s more, it’s been shown that sex can actually be way better when you’re high, at least compared to when you’re drunk, so it’s no surprise then that numerous companies have been jumping on the bandwagon. This includes none other than Foria, the maker of the famous (or infamous) weed lube that got writer Mira Gonzalez hella stoned.

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Amazon Trojan Condoms Dash Button

Invention

Thinking about the amount of sex that never got to happen due to a lack of condoms, can make anyone sad on the inside. But really, it's 2016. There's got to be a better way to stock up on condoms than a late night run to the corner store (total mood killer), am I right? Enter, the Trojan Dash Button. You may have heard about Amazon's invention of the "dash" button, which reorders your product of choice with just the press of a button. Well, what could be more important to constantly keep in stock of than a box of Trojans? Just press the button, and a fresh box will be on it's way to you. No logging in and no awkward eye contact with the drugstore cashier.

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Nikki Glaser

Influencer

In a time when comedians have to go big — like, real big — before they go home, Nikki Glaser is one of the finest and is going as big as she possibly can. With her sex comedy talk show, Not Safe with Nikki Glaser, she’s taking on topics like Tinder, one-night stands, male enhancement techniques, orgasms and much, much more. Let’s just say that Glaser barely leaves anything to the imagination and answers all the questions most folks have simply been too afraid to ask. Glaser and her panel of comedians are regularly doing what must be done by broaching taboo topics in sex and presenting them in a digestible way.

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Cheating Island

Location

There’s a new vacation destination catering to the Ashley Madison crowd: An island where cheating is not only allowed but encouraged. Called Illicit Retreat, this travel service gives members of Illicit Encounters the chance to go on a trip with their side-thang without being caught. Apparently, you’ll be flown to the island by helicopter (ya know, no worrying about documentations and security and all) and you’ll both sign an NDA before boarding. Also: you’re both blindfolded, so you don’t know where the F you’re going. If you’re going to be a dick, at least you can get a tan? (Not really — since it’s located 100 miles from Portsmouth, south of the British coast, so it’ll be cold. Sorry!)

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Better Understanding Diet & Sex

Trend

Diet and sex have always been interconnected: An active sex life is the key to living a long life, as is diet and exercise — but it goes beyond that. Over and over, we’re finding out that what we eat impacts how we have sex. For instance, circulation-enhancing foods (such as those rich in Omega-3s) will help get blood flowing ‘down there’. Also, a stimulant like coffee may also stimulate you sexually, and chocolate contains phenylethylamine, which releases the same feel-good feeling as actually having sex. As for being aphrodisiacs, no proof about those working as such but if they put you in the mood, go for it.

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Addyi

Invention

Ever since Viagra launched in 1999 and experienced an incredible $1 billion in sales in its very first year, the world has been wondering when a female equivalent would arrive on the scene. Marketed as a fix for women who are experiencing low levels of sexual desire, Addyi was launched back in August 2015 and didn’t exactly kick up a storm in terms of sales. In fact, it still hasn’t. Of course, whether low levels of desire are something that should even be fixed by a pill and not, say, by a sex partner putting in more of an effort to spice things up is a trickier question to answer.

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PrEP Drug

Invention

It’s been three decades since the AIDS epidemic shocked the world and took it hostage, but that doesn’t mean it should be forgotten about. That being said, a lot has changed since the ‘80s and a number of new treatment options have become available. Enter PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), a medicine that can be taken by men who are at risk of contracting HIV. PrEP is made up of two HIV medications, tenofovir and emtricitabine, and can be taken daily to drastically lower the chance of infection. With a success rate of around 90%, PrEP has once again changed the conversation surrounding HIV.

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YouPorn Female Director Series

Creation

It's a common misconception that the only roles women play in the porn industry are the ones in front of the camera, but you'd probably be surprised to hear that some of the films that are bringing home accolades at the Adult Video Awards (AVNs) have female directors behind them. YouPorn took that insight and ran with it, and created a video series that shines the spotlight on the women behind the camera who are responsible for what may very well be some of your favorite dirty flicks. Here's to empowering the next generation of young female pornography directors out there.

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Amy Schumer

Influencer

Amy Schumer is the gold standard for how strong women talk about sex. She has no filter and provides her unabashed views on everything from sexuality to pornography, prostitution and gun control with a heaping dose of comedy. Not only is Schumer’s view on sex hilarious, but it gets people talking. Schumer is constantly redefining the way the world sees sex with her television show, Inside Amy Schumer, and various projects, including her recent book, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo. Schumer also recently opened up to Vanity Fair about her own experiences with sexual assault and rape, giving her material a point of reference for those suffering in silence.

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OMGYES

Invention

Imagine there was a website that could take you from sexual zero to sensual hero. From fumbling virgin to confident stud. That's the promise behind a lot of phony sex advice and penis-enlargement schemes, but it's also the reality of OMGYES, a brave new website that takes a scientific, methodical approach to turning you into a better lover. Based on research data taken from thousands of women, the site breaks down different techniques and knowledge areas into straightforward, easy-to-follow advice, featuring videos, visuals and text. It’s the total package and if you’re genuinely concerned that you’re lacking as a lover, OMGYES might just be able to fix that.

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Lelo HEX Condom

Invention

We’re all taught that safe sex is important, but for many, these warnings go unheeded. Not because they don’t care, but because most condoms simply don’t offer a particularly pleasant user experience. The HEX condom — called “the world’s best new condom” by its creator, sex-toy maker Lelo — represents some much-needed innovation in the tired condom industry, however. Its revolutionary hexagonal structure means it can marry both extreme thinness and much-needed durability. With discomfort, slippage and breakage being the biggest reasons people mis-use condoms, this is a big step forward. So yes, your night can be extra fun while still staying safe.

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The Sex Factor

Creation

America can claim to be the birthplace of many artforms — rock and roll, slasher flicks, jazz and standup comedy come to mind first — but the most culturally relevant “artform” today has got to be reality television. There's seemingly nothing that can't be shown through the lens of reality TV, so it shouldn't be surprising that someone (finally) made a reality show about porn. Hosted by a slew of famous porn stars, like Asa Akira, The Sex Factor followed aspiring porn stars as they attempted to stake a claim to fame with nothing more than their bodies. The result? You’ll just have to check out the season’s climax, err, finale yourself.

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Custom Fleshlights

Invention

You can customize pretty much everything at this point. You can customize your Chipotle order down to every single ingredient, so why shouldn’t we make the fake vaginas, asses and mouths that serve as sex toys customizable too? Fleshlight, one of the world’s most popular male sex toys, has been rolling out some interesting modifications on their products recently. Now, you can penetrate a vagina or asshole molded from the genitalia of your favorite adult film star. You can also determine how tight the fit is, and what sort of “texture” your insert has! What a time to be alive.

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Stoya

Influencer

Stoya may have a rare SFW porn Instagram account (which you should totally be following), but her boutique porn production company, TRENCHCOATx, is doing everything except playing it safe. Putting the power in the hands of its performers, TRENCHCOATx was founded by Stoya and Kayden in 2014 and has been releasing lovingly produced, terribly arousing pornography since then. The company’s top priority is to put people first and its mission statement says it all: “We believe in high quality product, fair prices for the consumer, and fair pay for the people who work for us.” In an industry where exploitation can still be rampant, it’s refreshing to see a creative, sexy studio like TRENCHCOATx gaining traction.

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IUDs

Invention

As with many things related to sex, the IUD (intrauterine device) is a double-edged sword. The contraceptive device, which a woman puts inside her uterus to prevent pregnancy, is a godsend for many couples. Available in hormone-free copper versions, the increasingly popular IUD means no condoms, no pills and no worries. You put it in once and you're set... until you actually want to get pregnant. It's so good at preventing pregnancy that the condom industry tried to cast doubt on the miracle device for years, fearing it would eat into their bottom line. The drawback? Teens are now adopting the method and pushing condoms, and safe sex concerns, to the side.

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Hedonism II

Location

Looking to go on your craziest-ever vacation this summer? Ditch those plans to head to Mexico or Hawaii. Hedonism II, a clothing-optional resort in Jamaica, is where you want to go. It’s not your average couples getaway — this isn’t the all-inclusive you went to on spring break (except maybe in your fantasies). It’s a fully sex-themed retreat. As the name suggests, you’ll get the whole extent of hedonism: mirrors on every guestroom ceiling, suites with semi-private Jacuzzis, and their after-hours Romping Shop playroom outfitted with dark lighting, multiple beds, sex swings, exposed glass showers and, of course, plenty of condoms.

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Snapchat

Invention

You might already suffer from a full-blown Snapchat addiction — especially with all of those filters and faces you can now use — but if not, you might want to seriously consider it. Not only because it’s a great time-waster, but also because it could bring you closer to your partner — current or future. Snapchat’s “Your Eyes Only” feature (and private messaging on Instagram) provides an instant, real-time way to connect intimately with that special someone who’s been liking your pics and watching your Snapchat stories. Forget plain old texting — using social media to send sexy shots is the future of sexting.

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Joanna Angel

Influencer

You won’t find a porn star who works harder than Joanna Angel. By acting, directing, editing and heading her very own company, BurningAngel.com, she’s been able to put the power right back in the hands of women. She’s an outspoken writer, sex activist, actress and alt pioneer who has carefully crafted a style of smut that’s true to her interests. Even more impressive? She hasn’t backed down from her vision since shooting her first porn scene over a decade ago. Angel also has her own line of Fleshlights, briefly wrote a column for SPIN and even contributed her words of wisdom to a book titled Naked Ambition: Women Pornographers and How They Are Changing the Sex Industry. Joanna Angel makes sex a loud topic and she should be thanked for that.

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Millennials & Abstinence

Trend

2016 has been a year fraught with discoveries about millennials. Millennials are doing this. Millennials are ruining that. Millennials have changed the way the economy functions. Perhaps the most slanderous thing said about millennials is that they’re all a bunch of virgins. Of course, as with most portraits being painted in the media, that’s incredibly reductive. But studies appear to show that millennials are indeed having less sex than their parents’ generation — even if the sex they do have happens with relative strangers they met on the internet. Whatever happens, Generation Xers need to get their act together and decide whether millennials have too much sex or not enough.

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Group Sex

Trend

Because sometimes it is OK to admit that one person may not completely fulfill your sexual desires. Group sex has been something of a taboo in the past, and many believed only deviants and sex freaks enjoyed getting it on with more than one person at once. Every few years, the media seems to start a moral panic by suggesting that teens are having giant sex parties on the sly, but with sexual mores loosening and open relationships proliferating, maybe we can all take a minute to realize how thrilling and freeing it is to experiment sexually with more than one person at once.

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Kim Kardashian West

Influencer

Ahhh, Kim Kardashian. The world seems to be addicted to closely watching every single move she makes, whether it’s to critique her behavior, make comments about her body, lust over her photos or dream of having her finances. The ultra-celeb is never far from the headlines, but what exactly is it about her that makes her so damn fascinating? Perhaps it's that she does what our parents always told us to do as children: share. There seems to be nothing that Kim K will hold back and it makes sense, seeing as she started her trajectory to the top with the whole world watching something she never thought she'd have to share. Over the years, Kim's come to live (and thrive) in front of the camera and under the spotlight, and prove that the whole world knowing about your sex life can be an asset, rather than a liability.

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Anthony Weiner

Influencer

The former New York congressman had been making headlines for years now for the deeply unfortunate connection between his last name and the part of his body he loves to send pictures of to people on Twitter, but in 2016, when another wave of sexting scandals prompted Weiner to quit Twitter and his wife to leave him, Anthony Weiner has been a staunch reminder that sending pictures of your dick to someone you don't know very well is a dicey proposition. That being said, we can all thank Weiner for helping our society have a frank conversation about dick pics.

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Laverne Cox

Influencer

Chances are you knew very little about the transgender community before seeing Laverne Cox on Orange Is the New Black. With her incredible ability to keep calm while answering ruthlessly dumb questions, Cox has quickly become the spokesperson trans people have needed to help bring the ignorant public up to speed. By taking her fame and beauty and using it for good, Cox has proven herself to be a true trailblazer helping in the fight for human rights. She even earned an Honorary Doctorate from The New School in New York City and was Time magazine’s first transgender cover model. Cox rocks, people.

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Magic Wand Rechargeable

Invention

The Magic Wand (formerly the Hitachi Magic Wand) was originally marketed as a “body massager” to relieve stress, but that’s not what it’s meant for: During the ‘60s, it took its place as a symbol of women seeking sexual pleasure. The most famous vibrator of all time, it’s probably the most recognizable sex toy today, and there's a good chance you've seen it in a few porn scenes. As time has gone on, vibrators have become way more portable and compact — this one is large and involves a plug-in power source — but the Magic Wand still remains the Cadillac of vibrators.

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#FreeTheNipple

Trend

When it comes to the #freethenipple movement, it's important to note that the core of this campaign is about gender equality. The women behind the #freethenipple movement just want the same rights granted to them as men have — just the simple right of taking your shirt off in public. While there’s still a way to go before women being topless is legal worldwide, the movement has succeeded in raising awareness for the issue, sparking several (topless) protests, and was even the focus of a documentary in 2014. Keep fighting the good fight, ladies.

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Bumble

Invention

Most of the time, culture relies on men taking charge when it comes to dating. Apart from concepts like the Sadie Hawkins dance, in which women initiate the dance, and Irish women asking men to marry them on Leap Day, the onus is typically put on guys to start the conversation. Thanks to dating app Bumble, however, all that’s changing. Started by a Tinder co-founder, the app’s most noteworthy feature is that only women can send the first message. It’s a shift that speaks to changing social mores about what’s considered “proper” behavior for women, as well as the fact that women are increasingly vocal and dissatisfied about the inappropriate openers many men resort to on dating sites. Is the future of hooking up going to be completely reliant on women making the first move? Bumble’s betting on yes.

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Sheri's Ranch

Location

Move the hell over, Disneyland, because Sheri’s Ranch is officially the happiest place on earth. One of the most unique Las Vegas activities, this legal brothel operates on Nevada’s complicated, loophole-ridden prostitution laws. Legal, clinically safe, licensed and regulated by the State of Nevada, Sheri's Ranch features some really, really professional women and an extensive sex menu that boasts every kind of sexual conquest imaginable, from threesomes to Nuru massages, The Girlfriend Experience and even a foot fetish party. Sheri’s takes the stigma away from prostitution and makes it as accessible as, well, a trip to Magic Kingdom.

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Butt Stuff

Trend

You’re probably already yawning because yes, butt stuff seems like it ought to be played out by now, but it can still be appreciated. Although it was undoubtedly a trending topic in 2015, this year, butt stuff became a mainstream sexual practice, an acceptable brunch topic and even a first date icebreaker. In 2016, the anus came to be seen as the great equalizer because, well, everyone’s got one. Can you remember the last time you talked to someone about a recent hookup and butt stuff wasn’t a thing? What’s more, it seems like pretty much everyone can learn to love it with enough patience, the right preparation and, of course, a little bit of lube.

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The 2016 Presidential Election

Trend

Unlike many races in recent memory, sex was an issue in the 2016 presidential election — and, as is often the case when sex and politics meet, it was for all the wrong reasons. The campaign featured myriad allegations of sexual misconduct levied at both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton’s husband, adding another ugly facet to an already ugly campaign that was as long as it was grueling. With Trump now president-elect, the American people must face the fact that their new commander-in-chief has a bad reputation when it comes to sex — not to mention may restrict rights for LGBTQ people and make access to birth control much tougher.

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Unicorns

Trend

A “unicorn” is a colloquial term used to describe a bisexual woman who’s open to a threesome with a heterosexual couple (or, more accurately, a couple including a straight man and a bisexual, or at least bi-curious, woman), and it’s so-named, with tongue firmly in cheek, because they are a mythical creature that may as well not exist. There is, however, a somewhat nefarious aspect to the quest to find unicorns by “unicorn hunters,” which Lux Alptraum perfectly lays out here, which is that treating bisexual women like props or gifts to spice up your heterosexual sex life is pretty inconsiderate, and risks dehumanizing those women and flattening their sexuality into a stereotype. Plenty of food for thought.

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Amber Rose

Influencer

Amber Rose has long been an advocate for female sexual empowerment, but this year saw her making waves for a slightly different reason. When her ex, Kanye West, started a shocking Twitter rampage against her then-beau Wiz Khalifa in February, Rose acted decisively, alleging that she used to finger West's butthole when they were together. Well then. Whether it's through her participation in viral videos, the Amber Rose SlutWalk Festival or her online presence, Rose definitely seems to be one of the most boundary-pushing celebs out there when it comes to sex. You keep doing you, Muva!

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Pornhub Premium

Invention

It was only a matter of time before someone made the Netflix of porn, and it’s not surprising that it was Pornhub. The past few years have seen the rise of the porn aggregator model with ad revenue for sites where content is uploaded by users quickly outpacing subscription sites owned by the porn production companies. So Pornhub, everyone’s favorite solo time site, decided that it could bring the two models together, charging a subscription fee for a souped-up aggregator experience. Will the gamble pay off? Only time will tell, but if you’re curious, AskMen went ahead and reviewed Pornhub Premium for you. You’re welcome!

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The Womanizer

Invention

A new device claims to give your girlfriend what she’s always dreamed of: an orgasm within sixty seconds. Wowzers. Called the Womanizer Deluxe, this small personal device is a clitoris stimulator that apparently truly gets the job done. It doesn’t directly connect to her clitoris, so if you’re using it together, you can rest assured it won’t hurt her. Women actually describe the experience to be a lot like receiving oral sex, so hey, if you ever want a night off, maybe buy it for not only her pleasure, but for the sake of your lazy streak as well?

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Dick Pics

Trend

Maybe it’s because of Anthony Weiner. Maybe it’s despite Anthony Weiner. Maybe it’s because everyone has a smartphone now, everyone sexts and, believe or not, a penis can look hot. A caveat here: No one likes receiving an unsolicited dick pic. But a solicited one? That’s a whole different story. Especially when it’s shot the right way. With blogs like Critique My Dick Pic going strong, everyone can become the beneficiary of good lighting, tasteful hand placement and… *eggplant emoji*. Not to mention that the growing acceptance of these NSFW snaps is (hopefully) a sign of growing acceptance when it comes to openly talking about female desires.

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Naughty America VR

Invention

If you’re watching porn the same way you did a year ago, you’re doing it wrong. Thanks to Naughty America VR, men and their partners can finally turn their adult entertainment viewing into full on, immersive, adult experiences. Featuring the biggest names in porn, with weekly updates catering to the most popular adult fantasies, Naughty America VR delivers the fun, electricity and excitement that’s been missing from standard online porn for years. Compatible with most popular VR headsets (Google Cardboard, Samsung Gear VR, Oculus Rift and HTC Vive), the only other thing you’ll need to experience porn the way you’ve always dreamed about... is your Naughty America VR subscription.

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Sexual Fluidity

Trend

Despite centuries of social programming and all the art and media that reinforces straight relationships, lately people are finally waking up to the truth that human sexuality is more fluid than we might think. Sexual fluidity has been sweeping the world, blowing the door wide open for guys to get with other guys and girls to get with other girls, and anyone and everyone to get with gender-fluid people — without needing to apply labels to anything. Sexual fluidity is giving people the social liberty to experiment in the bedroom. Because the truth is, sexual orientation is a lot like the weather — it can change drastically from one day to the next and people are finally getting with the program.

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Consent

Trend

In too many ways to count, sexual consent has surged into the mainstream conversation in recent years, through high-profile court cases, shocking accusations and the relentless spreading of better consent information. While in years past this area of sex education remained murky at best, absent in most cases and horribly misleading at worst, modern attitudes have shifted noticeably in recent years when it comes to these topics, away from cruel jokes and toward awareness and healing. Although there's still a long, long way to go, the fact that colleges are now teaching their incoming freshmen about consent and the fact that women who come forward aren't facing the same blanket skepticism as they did in years past is encouraging. A society where everyone is better educated about consent from a young age is a healthier society, where fewer people have to live with either trauma or guilt, and hopefully a sign of better things to come.

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Tinder

Invention

For generations past, love and sex were hard to come by. Marriage was often either arranged, or it was a union of best fit that was more financially minded than a commitment to everlasting love. We may look back on those ideas now and laugh, but is what we have today any better? In a society where you read headlines that say “Millennials hook up in ten texts or fewer,” it’s arguable that we’ve swung all the way over to the other end of the spectrum. Today, if you play your cards right, you could swipe right on someone on a dating app at 7 p.m., be boning them before midnight, and swipe right on your next hookup while they’re in the bathroom showering next morning. It’s every sci-fi dystopian nightmare about romantic human interaction becoming a digitally modulated sex parade come true — but whether you’re excited about it or not is really a matter of opinion. One thing’s for sure — Tinder has completely changed the dating game.

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Sex Robots

Invention

When it comes to sex, 2016 has been all about making it easier. It's now easier than ever to meet people who want to hook up, to have orgasms, to stay hard, to avoid unwanted pregnancies and infections and the list goes on. It seems like the ultimate goal of all of this is a society where no one ever needs to miss out on an opportunity to have sex and, specifically, to have exactly the kind of sex they want. But while the trickiest aspect of sex seems to be finding someone who'll do it with you, the solution appears to be... incredibly high-tech sex robots. Is that crazy? Isn't the sole aspect of sex that makes it sex and not just masturbation the physical presence of another person? Or are robots getting so advanced that they now technically count as people? Will robot brothels put real human sex workers out of work? Will your friends start telling you they're dating their sex robot? What kind of priest presides over a human and sex robot wedding, anyway? What kinds of pickup lines work best on a robot? Is it time to brush up on your binary code? These are the sorts of tricky questions we'll have to grapple with moving forward. One thing's for sure, though: Science fiction totally called this.